Bringing the heat

Where was this heat last weekend? We could have used it down at Lake of the Ozarks - where it was down in the 50's at night. Of course when school starts, true Iowa weather hits - high heat (98 degrees today), humidity - it's all here along with a breeze. We're having the Diamond Brooke (our condo association) picnic this evening. At least it's in the shade. Last summer the weather was like this the whole time. This year I've had lots of good deck time, and yesterday a.m. it was nice until around 10.

I went to school back in the days before air conditioning did. I don't recall school officials dismissing us early for heat back then. We wore our little dresses in the 1960's - no shorts. I suppose skirts might have been cool with those cotton undies we wore! When the wind blew - it was "dress up day".

The DM Register recently wrote an editorial stating their opinion that schools should charge a little more for registration fees and require families to bring fewer supplies to school at the beginning of the year. I have to say I agree with that - especially after I saw what some of the 'burbs were requiring of their students! Boys: disinfectant wipes. Girls: Hand sanitizer. That kind of stuff has to be way cheaper in bulk! And does Crayola subsidize them or lobby to make sure students have to have 8 thin tipped markers, erasable?

I remember how upset Amy would get when Katie Deranleau would borrow a colored pencil and break it. Argh - "I don't have a good rosy puce anymore Mommy!" It was always a very important color making it necessary to purchase a new box of colored pencils!

I know schools are cut to the bone on budget - and they hesitate to charge more fees for supplies. It's a Catch 22 situation. But something does need to give. I must agree with the DMR here. I liked the letter to the Reg recently where the author said he didn't need to take no stinking tissues to school back when he was a student (he must be ancient like me). Boys wore long sleeve shirts in his day, he said - and that's what they used!

Outside the stadium

Last night I attended my first Iowa Cubs game since Judson David was in Little League in Creston and the whole gang attended a Cub game. Our realtor Marg called last weekend to say she and daughter Holly (her partner) won a box seat and would like to invite us to attend a game Saturday night. It was fun and the Cubs beat the Memphis Redbirds, though I must confess I didn't pay too much attention to the game until the last couple innings. I was having too much fun chatting with the other guests - who included my boss Alex and wife Julie. That was after we found the place - we wandered around most of Principal Park before we found out the Box we were looking for was in the outfield! By then I was hot and thirsty. Thank goodness for the cold beer on ice waiting for us.

We found it! Holly and Fritz were outside

It was Alex who introduced me to Marg and Holly a year ago when we started this great journey, a huge change in our lives! Paul accepted the job with NRCS in DSM just before he left for his elk hunting trip in Colorado last August. I asked Alex if he was happy with his realtor back then, because I knew he had recently bought a new home in town - and he was so enthusiastic about this pair I emailed them right away. That was a decision we really nailed! Here we are a year later, and they are still inviting us to events. Nice people. If you're looking to buy or sell in the area: Marg and Holly  Iowa Realty
And they didn't ask for this plug either.

Paul chats with Alex, Marg and Julie

Of course I spent some time talking shop with Alex. He recently was promoted to Bureau Chief from Section Supervisor - so I don't get to talk to him much anymore. He now supervises 4 sections - around 50 people! Not bad for somebody in his mid 30s. We talked about a meeting we both attended Friday with an outside consultant. Alex's wife Julie is a Beford native (my old Prairie Solid Waste Agency stomping grounds) - so of course the discussion revolved around the jailbreak and resulting hostage situation there earlier in the week. She knew the cop who was shot, and had been fearful when the bad guy was on the loose as her fam lives in town. She knows the nice people, held as hostages, who eventually took out the criminal with a shotgun. She said a fundraising effort is going on the send the people to see their daughter who lives a few states away - so they can get away from being in the house where it happened etc.

You can see the river from theses seats!

We also met a very interesting person named Sally who Marg helped find a new home a year ago when she moved back to Iowa from South Carolina. Sally (in her late 60s?) grew up in Charles City - but - small world department - her grandma lived in the house next to the one we lived in at Osage. Sally was married to a guy who was a long time writer/editor at the Waterloo Courier. He quit at age 55 and attended Iowa to get his Masters Degree so he could teach and they moved to S.C. and he plied that trade for a few years. She is a UNI grad and was a fundraiser for the Cedar Rapids arts - music scene prior to moving and did similar work in S.C.

Cubby made me blink!

After a few years they retired and moved to the Charleston area to a beach home - and six months later Sally's husband was diagnosed with heart cancer (very rare) and died 2 weeks later. Geez! How many times do you hear of that? So tragic at any age. Sally continued to live in S.C. for 13 years but decided a year ago to move back to Iowa - where property taxes are 4x higher but property insurance is much lower (no hurricanes). Her daughter is Elisabeth Reynoldson - attorney, who used to be an Assistant U.S. Attorney General, but who is now working with her husband in his law practice in Osceola. Their children are at that age - where one wants to be there for them.  Sally is an interesting lady - and is a good friend of former Lt. Gov. Joy Corning. It was fun talking with her.

self portrait at game - heat, wind, humidity!

Paul enjoyed talking to Bob who is an anaesthetist. He and his wife are good friends with Holly and her husband Fritz. Bob lives on the edge of a part of DSM that is overpopulated with deer, so he bowhunts in his yard. They talked hunting for a long time! Of course Paul is getting jacked up for his elk hunting trip - he heads out Thursday a.m. early. Today is the Diamond Brooke picnic - it should be fun in this heat. I need to go make the Chinese Slaw - decided to go with something cold.

At Mass at St. Francis last night (before the game) we saw Todd Dunphy and Tim Root - nice to say "hi" to those Crestonian friends!

Another busy week (Creston & Atlantic stuff)

Poor Odie. Good thing she has a bladder of steel! At least that we know of...we got home late.

I blogged before about our Realtors Marg and Holly. They're not normal! In a good way, of course. They invited us to a cocktail party Wednesday evening at Holly's home, which is located off 42nd Street, south of Grand in the hilly wooded area with cool, older homes. Holly is a designer - so you had to know her place would be fab.

Paul and I worked late that night and then stopped at our fave, The Standard for one drink because the party didn't start until 5:30 p.m. One has to be fashionably late. There was a singer that night who was really good - it was sad that there weren't many people there to appreciate him. About 5:45 p.m. we headed towards our destination. We didn't have any problems spotting the place as Holly had placed one of her Iowa Realty signs in the yard. The house was lit up with cars surrounding it.

Marg greeted us at the door, and Holly's husband Fritz introduced himself - making us feeling welcome. There were already fifteen or more people there. We each got a beverage and made our way to where one of my co-workers, Alex Moon and his wife were talking to the woman helping with the food. Introductions all around. Alex was the person who recommended Marg to us when I told him we were moving to DSM.

Alex is actually one of my supervisors - he's the Environmental Program Supervisor of the Solid Waste Section. He isn't yet 40 years old, but has been working at DNR for many years - working through the ranks. I knew him before - when I worked in Creston and I applied for my current position. He was in on the interview team. He treats me very professionally and I enjoy working with him.

I've been looking forward to meeting Alex's wife Julie, as she hails from Bedford, Iowa. When I worked as recycling educator across Adams, Taylor and Union Counties, Bedford was part of my stomping grounds. I wrote a column for the newspaper in that town - and Julie mentioned as much. I miss writing those monthly columns! Sometimes I'd start out early in the month with one piece in mind and by the time I turned it in for publication - it had morphed into something different altogether. The columns were on all things environmental - they gave me about 900 words to get out my message. I was surprised and pleased at how many people would comment about reading the column as I traveled throughout the 3-county territory. People, like Julie, still bring it up today.

Paul and I talked to Julie and Alex about mutual acquaintances in the Bedford area. I always must talk about the very cute Zeb, the chap that runs the deer locker. Julie said he's a few years younger than she is, but he rode the bus with her. She also knows Kenny Spencer, the City employee who was so helpful each year when I put together a collection day for household hazardous waste in town. People could drop off unwanted paint, chemicals and the like. One year we got a whole drum's worth of DDT tins left over from World War 2! Mick Landers helped with those events - what a good guy to work with! Paul even assisted us one year.

Paul and I didn't want to totally monopolize this young couple all night. We split up to try some of the appetizers. Humus, crackers, cheese, cupcakes and lots of other goodies were available. Hands full, we decided to sit on the couch with an available coffee table, near a couple who must have had the same idea. We all had nametags on. I noticed the man, who looked to be around our age, had the last name Kenyon. There is a Kenyon family in Creston. Hmmm.

When I asked Greg Kenyon if he knew the family in Creston, he said - "That's my family." Small world Iowa strikes again! He's the middle bro between Skip, Creston's City Attorney - and the guy who wrote one of our wills, and Tim, Union County Attorney. He graduated with Creston's Class of 1976 - our class. Jeff McFee, Rick Piel, Barb Crittenden - lots of people we know are from that class. Tim's son and daughter graduated with our children. So we had that whole connection to talk about. And a few other Creston characters....

Greg's wife, Pam, it turns out is Holly's high school friend. Greg and Pam went to Drake. And yes, Greg is an attorney like his brothers (and dad...). We talked Drake for a while since my sis Cindo went there too - a couple years ahead of these kiddos. Peggy's Tavern - the first place I ever got drunk.

Yeah - I was 15, with a fake ID. Mom was on the Cass County Hospital Board, and had traveled with Hospital Administrator Harold Parks to Des Moines for a meeting. She took me along to stay with my dear sister. I attended a class with her and remember going to food service for a meal. Then we had a beer or two in the dorm room. Peggy's was next. I was in awe - a 15 year old drinking with college kids. Thanks Cindo, for providing and safe and loving environment for that experience - and I mean it. She took care of me, and didn't let me overdo it. I was amazed at how much beer made you have to pee.

When Greg and Pam found out that I grew up in Atlantic they asked if I know Mark Wood (Woody-still comes back for every Drake Relays) and a few other people - one of the Van Ginkels. (Can't remember which one went to school there...he ended up buying our old house at 202 Crombie with his wife Marsha Cohron.) And Kendall Anderson? Hmm you're making me work. I can picture him - good bball player. They were a bit older than I am, but yes, I know those people.

Greg told us more Peggy's lore and Drake Relay's stories. Evidently Peggy's is only opening sporadically these days. Sad deal. Pam works at Meredith - and knows Paul's niece Barb who used to work there too. They live in Waukee on a pond. Greg had some Qs for Paul regarding watersheds. All too soon it was time to head out. We truly enjoyed the evening. It's fun meeting people.

Alex told me the next day he met someone who attended grade school with Des Moines author Bill Bryson. Byson, who was born in 1951, wrote "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" a memoir of his childhood here. Des Moines is an interesting place. Just like any town is, if you give it a chance. I like hearing people's stories. Thanks to Marg and Holly for giving us a chance to tell ours, and to hear a few more.